The most successful head coach in Pfeiffer’s men’s basketball history will make his first trip this week to the country’s biggest college basketball tournament.
Dave Davis, who trained the Falcons for 14 seasons, was the associate coach of the Winthrop Eagles for two seasons under coach Pat Kelsey.
In two seasons since December 2019, the Eagles are 43-4 in total, having won two regular season tournament titles and Big South with two appearances in the Div. I tournament.
“It’s been an incredible race in my two seasons at Winthrop,” said Davis. “I have been incredibly blessed to be part of this group of coaches and players.”
Regarding Kelsey, Davis said his leadership “during this pandemic, with social and political upheaval and the complete overhaul of the college student’s normal life, was beyond incredible.”
Winthrop dominated the conference this season, finishing 23-1 overall, including three wins in the Big South tournament by an average of 25.7 points per game. Facing a Campbell team that won nine consecutive games for the tournament finals, Winthrop won 80-53, throwing 79 percent of the field in the second half.
“You could feel an inner peace in the locker room before the game, since our boys were so locked up,” said Davis.
The Eagles are the 12th position in the South and face the 5th Villanova in the game of the first round of the Eagles. The team is already in Indianapolis, ready to play at one of the four venues.
Regarding the confrontation, Davis said that Villanova coach Jay Wright “is one of the best, if not the best. We need to be prepared, but we came to win and (we are) thrilled with the seed 12 ”.
The number 12 of the Eagles’ seeds is one of the biggest seeds in the history of the Big South Conference.
The tournament’s cancellation last year because of the pandemic denied Davis the chance to be a coach, but Davis said being in Indianapolis “is a dream come true. (It has been) an incredible journey with a lot of adversity to get here, but our guys used last year’s cancellation as fuel all year to come back and have the opportunity to play on this natural stage. “
Davis had 284-124 overall for Pfeiffer (69.6 percent) and led the Falcons to 21 championships, the Div NCAA. II Sweet 16 in 2000 and 2004 and an appearance at Elite Eight in 2004. As a Pfeiffer coach, the Falcons averaged more than 20 wins per season and were among the top five in Div. Basketball II in victories since 1990. Davis was three times technician of the CVAC of the year and the Regional Technician of the East of the year in 2004.
Pfeiffer’s teams in the Davis era were known for their high-octane attack. In the 2009-10 season, Pfeiffer led Div. II in points per game (103.1) and was the team with the highest score in either Div. I or II five seasons. The Falcons once scored 146 points in a victory over Barton in 2010 and still have the record for most second time points ever scored against the University of North Carolina’s Tar Heels (66).
Before going to Winthrop, Davis was also the head coach for nine seasons at Newberry College. Davis had seven consecutive winning seasons for the Wolves, while the team qualified in the Top 10 in scoring in the country in all nine years.
About Charles Curcio
Charles Curcio was the sports editor for Stanly News & Press from 1999 to 2001 and currently holds the same role since 2008. He was awarded the NCHSAA Tim Stevens Media Representative of the Year and named CNHI Sports Editor of the Year in 2014. He was also honored twice by the North Carolina Press Association.
More by Charles